Moore sworn in as chief justice

Alabama Chief Justice Roy Moore puts on his robe with the help of his wife, Kayla, after being sworn into office Friday, Jan. 11, 2013, at the Heflin-Torbert Judicial Building in Montgomery, Ala. Moore promised continued loyalty to God first as he took the oath of office Friday to become chief justice of Alabama's Supreme Court, almost a decade after he was removed from the same post over a church-state dispute. (Julie Bennett | AL.com | Associated Press)

By Dana BeyerleTimes Montgomery Bureau

Published: Friday, January 11, 2013 at 7:41 p.m.

Last Modified: Friday, January 11, 2013 at 7:42 p.m.

MONTGOMERY — Lifelong friends and neighbors of Gallant native Roy Moore watched his second swearing-in Friday as chief justice of Alabama in a solemn and religious ceremony in the Heflin-Torbert Judicial Building.

Moore and Supreme Court Justice-elect Tommy Bryan took their oaths of office during an investiture ceremony that was attended by Moore’s West Point classmates, family and friends, and Bryan’s family, friends and associate justices on the Court of Civil Appeals.

Bryan is moving up from the Court of Civil Appeals to fill an expired term.

Gov. Robert Bentley honored Bryan and Moore with commissions. They begin their six-year terms on Monday.

In the balcony of the Supreme Court courtroom were Johnny and Nancy King and Ken and Linda Sadler, Moore’s neighbors in the Etowah County community of Gallant for more than 50 years.

They said Moore came from humble beginnings and took over as the man of the house after his father died. Moore was appointed to the U.S. Military Academy in 1965 by then-U.S. Rep. Jim Martin, R-Gadsden, who attended Friday’s ceremony.

Linda Sadler said Moore would walk home five or six miles after football practice and he made A’s in school. “Roy took over the family,” Ken Sadler said.

Ken Sadler said Moore was a Royal Apostle for Christ in church, which he taught.

“He had a goal,” Nancy King said.

“I always thought a lot of Roy,” Johnny King said.

Moore realized his goal in 2000 when he was elected as the second Republican chief justice in Alabama history. But he defied a federal judge and lost his office in 2003 for not removing a granite monument to the Ten Commandments that he had placed in the rotunda of the state judicial building.

He ran for governor twice, losing to Gov. Bob Riley in the 2006 primary and Bentley in the 2010 GOP primary. In 2012, Moore won the Republican chief justice primary without a runoff against appointed Chief Justice Charles Malone and former Attorney General and Mobile County Circuit Judge Charles Graddick.

“If he hadn’t beat me, I wouldn’t be here today,” Moore said about Bentley in a lighter moment.

“It is indeed a great honor to once again become chief justice of Alabama.”

Bentley returned the light-hearted compliment by saying that if Moore had not lost the 2010 primary, he wouldn’t be governor. “His supporters supported me, and that’s the reason I am here today,” Bentley said.

Moore and other speakers in the prayer-filled ceremony invoked the word of God, but Moore didn’t mention the monument to the Ten Commandments, which he has said he won’t return to the judicial building.

Moore praised his wife, Kayla, for being strong and for him being in politics. The 1969 graduate of West Point and Vietnam military police unit commander earned a law degree from the University of Alabama in 1977.

He took the oath of office from West Point classmate John Bentley, a circuit judge.

Moore, 65, served as a deputy district attorney in Etowah County from 1977 to 1982. He practiced law from 1984 until 1992, when he was appointed a circuit judge.

He displayed a hand-carved plaque of the Ten Commandments in his courtroom and was sued in 1995 for opening court with prayer. Another lawsuit eventually went to the Supreme Court, which did not rule on it in 1998.

Moore was elected chief justice in 2000 after gaining national prominence as the “Ten Commandments judge.”

Bryan, 56, was elected to the Court of Civil Appeals in 2004, was re-elected in 2010 and last year was elected to the Supreme Court to succeed retiring Justice Tom Woodall.

<p>MONTGOMERY — Lifelong friends and neighbors of Gallant native Roy Moore watched his second swearing-in Friday as chief justice of Alabama in a solemn and religious ceremony in the Heflin-Torbert Judicial Building.</p><p>Moore and Supreme Court Justice-elect Tommy Bryan took their oaths of office during an investiture ceremony that was attended by Moore's West Point classmates, family and friends, and Bryan's family, friends and associate justices on the Court of Civil Appeals.</p><p>Bryan is moving up from the Court of Civil Appeals to fill an expired term.</p><p>Gov. Robert Bentley honored Bryan and Moore with commissions. They begin their six-year terms on Monday.</p><p>In the balcony of the Supreme Court courtroom were Johnny and Nancy King and Ken and Linda Sadler, Moore's neighbors in the Etowah County community of Gallant for more than 50 years.</p><p>They said Moore came from humble beginnings and took over as the man of the house after his father died. Moore was appointed to the U.S. Military Academy in 1965 by then-U.S. Rep. Jim Martin, R-Gadsden, who attended Friday's ceremony.</p><p>Linda Sadler said Moore would walk home five or six miles after football practice and he made A's in school. “Roy took over the family,” Ken Sadler said.</p><p>Ken Sadler said Moore was a Royal Apostle for Christ in church, which he taught.</p><p>“He had a goal,” Nancy King said.</p><p>“I always thought a lot of Roy,” Johnny King said.</p><p>Moore realized his goal in 2000 when he was elected as the second Republican chief justice in Alabama history. But he defied a federal judge and lost his office in 2003 for not removing a granite monument to the Ten Commandments that he had placed in the rotunda of the state judicial building.</p><p>He ran for governor twice, losing to Gov. Bob Riley in the 2006 primary and Bentley in the 2010 GOP primary. In 2012, Moore won the Republican chief justice primary without a runoff against appointed Chief Justice Charles Malone and former Attorney General and Mobile County Circuit Judge Charles Graddick.</p><p>“If he hadn't beat me, I wouldn't be here today,” Moore said about Bentley in a lighter moment.</p><p>“It is indeed a great honor to once again become chief justice of Alabama.”</p><p>Bentley returned the light-hearted compliment by saying that if Moore had not lost the 2010 primary, he wouldn't be governor. “His supporters supported me, and that's the reason I am here today,” Bentley said.</p><p>Moore and other speakers in the prayer-filled ceremony invoked the word of God, but Moore didn't mention the monument to the Ten Commandments, which he has said he won't return to the judicial building.</p><p>Moore praised his wife, Kayla, for being strong and for him being in politics. The 1969 graduate of West Point and Vietnam military police unit commander earned a law degree from the University of Alabama in 1977.</p><p>He took the oath of office from West Point classmate John Bentley, a circuit judge.</p><p>Moore, 65, served as a deputy district attorney in Etowah County from 1977 to 1982. He practiced law from 1984 until 1992, when he was appointed a circuit judge.</p><p>He displayed a hand-carved plaque of the Ten Commandments in his courtroom and was sued in 1995 for opening court with prayer. Another lawsuit eventually went to the Supreme Court, which did not rule on it in 1998.</p><p>Moore was elected chief justice in 2000 after gaining national prominence as the “Ten Commandments judge.”</p><p>Bryan, 56, was elected to the Court of Civil Appeals in 2004, was re-elected in 2010 and last year was elected to the Supreme Court to succeed retiring Justice Tom Woodall.</p>